Mangaluru: Health and Family Welfare Minister U T Khader held a press meet at the Deputy Commissioner’s office here, on July 5.

Addressing the mediapersons, Khader said that the government has taken all measures to prevent communicable diseases from spreading. “There is no need to panic as the Health Department has taken all the measures to curb communicable diseases. In DK district, dengue cases have been increasing and four people have already died. Dengue was first found in Guthigar Primary Health Centre in Puttur. Later, some cases were also registered in Beltangady. Since April, the health officers along with Asha workers have been visiting houses in Puttur and Beltangady and holding awareness camps about Dengue and Malaria.”

He further said that in the month of May and June, various programmes were organized to bring awareness among the people about the spread of Dengue and Malaria and how to curb it. “While visiting homes, the health workers have informed people about Dengue, Malaria, H1N1 and other communicable diseases. People should join hands with the Health Department and the government to curb communicable diseases, because if people will not keep their surroundings clean, it will help the mosquitoes to breed.”

He also said, “In the district, we have formed Rapid Response team (DSO,DVBDC, Epidemeologist and Enteomologist) and in the taluk, we have appointed health officers as Nodal officers. The nodal officers will instruct the team to visit every house and if anyone is having fever and other symptoms, a random blood test will be conducted. Once the team members will bring the report, the nodal officer will review it and give instructions based on the report. The health department is striving hard to provide medical facilities to the infected.”

He further clarified that due to dengue, there are 4 confirmed deaths but none of them died in Government hospital. Srinivas Nayak from Peruvai was treated first in Mahaveer Hospital. Later, he was shifted to Chethana Hospital and died in KMC. The second patient Geetha Nayak from Badagabennur was admitted in a local hospital with fever; she was then shifted to Chethana Hospital and when her fever did not subside, she was admitted to Fr Muller hospital, where she died due to dengue. The third patient Suresh from Uppinangady was treated by a local doctor and was shifted to KMC hospital, where he died with dengue. The fourth personJagadish Kaikar from Thingaladi was treated by a local doctor. He was admitted to Chethana hospital and later shifted to KMC Hospital, where he died. None of the four came to the government hospital, with three being treated in Chethanahospital. “We have warned Chethana hospital for their negligence in shifting the patients on time to other hospitals. If anyone comes with fever, the doctors should insist that the patient takes a blood test. If they cannot diagnose, they have to send the patient immediately to the government hospital in Mangaluru or other primary health centres. If the hospitals are confident of treating the patients, let them admit them. They should not otherwise waste time by admitting the patients in their hospitals. Strict action will be taken against doctors, hospitals, nurses or health officers if they make mistakes in treating the patients.”

He also said that there are three other suspected dengue fever deaths of Nausheen (9) from Padangady, who was treated by a local doctor and was later taken by a 108 ambulance to Fr Muller Hospital hospital, where she died. Harish(25), Navoor was treated by a local doctor and then admitted to A J Hospital, where he died and Rajeshwari (28) from Kollamogeru was admitted to ChethanaHospital, where she died.

“In Dakshina Kannada, communicable diseases are very common because we have rivers. Due to heavy rainfall, water stagnates in various places thus breeding mosquitoes. If anyone is suffering from fever, they should go to the hospital immediately.”

He also said that the patients will be treated according to the Indian Medical Association guidelines. “If a patient needs platelets, the government hospital will provide platelets free of cost.”

“The health department has also taken the initiative of fogging various places. In Mangaluru, we have two teams with 7 fogging machines, and 2 teams with 4 machines each in Puttur, Banwtal and Beltangady taluks.

He also said that Kota Srinivas Poojary has demanded for permanent appointment of 3500 nurses. “At present, we are trying to regularize 889 nurses, who have been working from the past 15 years. The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) has appointed 3500 nurses and if they are made permanent, what about the 889 nurses who have been working from the past 15 years. Why did Kota Srinivas Poojary not submit his proposal regarding regularizing of NRHM nurses to the BJP government when it was in power?” he questioned. “This is a political gimmick for vote bank. We will make the NRHM nurses permanent according to the procedures. We will first take a list of all the nurses and in the first round and select 500 nurses out of 1000, if there are vacancies.”

When asked about the pending salary of the 108 ambulance staff, Khader said that the ambulance service is managed by the GVK, EMRI and it is the duty of the GVK to pay salary for the ambulance staff. “The government has nothing to do with the salary of the ambulance staff.”